


I Want To Be Your Canary

by patdkitten



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Feminization, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Sexual Slavery, Suicidal Thoughts, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 03:08:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6312934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patdkitten/pseuds/patdkitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry, a thief who happens to be extremely good at his job, is hired to sneak into a masquerade ball to kidnap someone known as "the princess". He has no idea what the princess looks like, or who hired him, but he finds help from an unlikely source: a young woman offers to help him if he'll kidnap her in exchange for her help.</p><p>The only problem? The young woman in question isn't a woman at all: Louis happens to be a very rare male omega who wants to escape from a horrible fate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Want To Be Your Canary

**Author's Note:**

> First things first: This is the first A/B/O I've ever written. If this is _your_ first A/B/O and you have no idea what any of this means, there's a fantastic primer to be found over [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/403644). A bit weird in parts and not everyone's cup of tea, A/B/O is a fantastic sandbox overall.
> 
> Secondly, this fic has been the fic from hell for me. Not because of the content involved, but because my laptop died halfway through writing it! Imagine it: starting up your laptop to work on your fic and your computer won't start. You try your hardest to figure out the issue, Google the error message you're getting, and realizing the worst: the hard drive is corrupted. You try something crazy - set up an OS on an external hard drive - and not only can you power your laptop back up, everything - including that fic you wanted to work on in the first place! - is still to be found on the corrupted drive. I have a Franken-laptop, lol.
> 
> Third, the title of this fic comes from a play and a song from a video game on the original PS1 called Final Fantasy 9. The premise of "thief kidnaps willing princess" also comes the same game.
> 
> Fourth, there's an accompanying fanmix to this baby! That can be found [here](http://8tracks.com/radioactiveblood/something-tragic-about-you-something-magic-about-you), and it's made by the fantastic [Radioactiveblood](http://radioactiveblood-nuclearheart.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Finally, some thank yous are in order. In no particular order: Jess, cuddlyreader, and Tanni, thanks for listening to me whine about this fic.
> 
> P.S. I've tagged and warned for everything I could think of when it came to what could trigger people regarding this fic. If there's something that should have been tagged and isn't, drop me a comment here or let me know on my [tumblr](http://doncasterkitten.tumblr.com). Also, although mentioned in the relationships, the Tomlinshaw is super brief. The main pairing is definitely HL.

As far as Harry was concerned – and had mentioned countless times, even though no one wanted to listen to him - the plan was absolutely, without a doubt, utterly beyond rubbish. It had all started a few days ago, when an unmarked, unaddressed envelope had been slid under his flat's door. Inside, written in crisp writing and on expensive paper, had been a letter that had read simply 'kidnap the princess' and had given the address of an extremely wealthy, and extremely important and _extremely_ political, man who had very powerful, very important and equally political friends. After their successful heist, they would be contacted the following day for where they could drop the princess off. Despite being thieves incredibly good at their jobs, Harry had wanted to walk away from the whole thing. They didn't kidnap _people_ for Christ's sake, and he wasn't about to start. But he'd been quickly vetoed by Niall and Zayn, citing that – because they _were_ the best – this job would be easy. An absolute piece of cake. No amount of logic or logistics could move either of them, and that was how Harry had found himself inside the mansion of said extremely wealthy and important man, one so-called Simon Cowell, surrounded by people in elaborate masks and costumes, looking for the so-called princess. He was also wondering why no one had come up with a better plan than 'sneak in dressed like well heeled party goers in fancy masks and hope no one noticed they didn't actually have invitations'.

This would not, could not end well.

“This is stupid,” he mumbled to himself, not for the first time since he'd gotten himself in through a side door, and readjusted his horned demon mask for what was definitely not the first time either. He was tempted to readjust the dark suit jacket he wore, or check to see if he looked out of place in his dark suit, but he figured that would draw more attention to himself than necessary. Definitely didn't want that. “Don't even have a picture of this princess, or who wants her kidnapped.”

There was a little giggle just behind him, causing him to start and whirl around. Behind him was a young woman smaller than him, wearing a white gown with inlaid pearls on the trim that accented her curves and a pair of white angel wings that looked rather unwieldy to him, although they didn't seem to bother the young woman much. A white mask adorned with more pearls and more white feathers obscured most of her face, but blue eyes glittered in amusement at him. More feathers and pearls were styled into her upswept, soft looking brown hair. She was the perfect angelic counterpart to his fearful demon costume. She pressed her hand to her jaw beneath the mask, barely concealing the smile that spread across her thin lips.

“Do you regularly talk to yourself, then?” She asked, delight colouring her voice as much as it did what he could see of her face that wasn't hidden by her mask. She pressed closer like she was sharing a secret with him, and he could smell the sweetness of her flowery perfume. He had to shift at the reaction it caused, silently cursing his own genetics of being an alpha and thankful he'd hid it behind scents of his own. The sweetness of the young woman's perfume nearly matched how an omega smelled. He wondered if it was intentional, or much like how he buried his alpha scent, it was designed to hide her own scent. “Maybe I could help you find your princess, if you do a favour for me in exchange for my help, kind sir?”

Harry was about to open his mouth to ask what sort of favour this strange girl was after when she froze at something only she could hear and tugged him with her up a nearby flight of stairs. Her wings flapped against his back like a living animal as they went up, and soon he was getting tugged into a study of some sort. He had to shove down the urge to gag at the overwhelming smell of _alpha_ that permeated the study and turned his attention to the young woman, only to find her pressed with her face to a crack in the door and mumbling to herself. Her entire body twitched in something he would have considered fear if he were to guess, setting the wings to flutter like a live animal once more.

He had a sudden wild notion that if he were to squint, he'd watch this angelic vision fly off in her fear.

Again, he was about to open his mouth when she squeaked fearfully, quickly shutting the door and turning around to clamp her delicate hand to his mouth with a shushing sound. Outside the door, he heard a man calling for a “Lou” and he was mildly surprised that the man, who smelled like an alpha, out there couldn't hear the little breathy sounds coming from the girl's mouth. For all it was obvious she was trying to be quiet, the sounds she made were loud in his own ears. The alpha outside should have been able to hear her.

Once the footfalls had faded, the girl's hand fell from Harry's mouth and she gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry about that.” Her hand moved as if to run a hand through her hair before it froze as if she remembered how her hair was styled so elaborately and her hand dropped to her side. “I meant what I said earlier, though. I'll help you find your princess if you do me a favour.”

Harry crossed his arms over his chest, thankful his demon costume wasn't as elaborate as the young woman's and didn't have the same restrictions. “What do I have to do for you that you'll help me look for who I'm looking for?”

The girl's hands tightened at her side as she looked up at him, eyes flashing behind her mask. “I want you to kidnap _me_.”

 

 _”I want you to kidnap_ me _.”_

What in the world was he _thinking_? Louis wondered as he clutched at his ballgown and hurried to his room, all of his senses still keyed up to Liam's presence. He'd been wondering that question since his heats had started and he was becoming more and more aware that Cowell had every intention of selling him off to the highest bidder. He'd expressed a need for escape to a family friend, not that he _had_ a family to call his, and one of the only two alphas Louis really trusted with the other being Liam, but nothing had materialized of the conversation with James.

At least, he'd _thought_ nothing had come of the conversation. But here was a stranger who smelled like a beta, and was looking for a princess at the Cowell mansion. The only person who referred to Louis as a princess was James, right? Could it be the help James had promised, or just a strange coincidence?

Was he going mad?

“Doesn't matter,” Louis told himself firmly as he made it to his room, slipping in and pulling the feathered mask off his face. For a moment, he was tempted to throw it across the room in a pique of anger, but knowing that the mask was a mini fortune – along with the gown he was in and the jewels in his hair – made him set the mask down carefully on his vanity . “I'll get out of here and it's killing two birds with one stone.”

He wiggled out of the wings and gown, resting them gently on his bed, before hurrying into his large closet. He bypassed everything hanging on their elegant hooks and hangers for an oversized hoodie that he'd stolen from Liam and skinnies he'd managed to acquire at some point in his planning and had stashed in the corner of one of the dresser drawers. He was just grabbing a duffel he'd stashed behind another dresser when he heard the door to his room open, making him freeze.

“Would you _look_ at this room, mate?” The voice was loud, sure to carry downstairs, even with the noisy and elaborate ball going on. Louis didn't know that voice, and therefore didn't trust the speaker and was about to hide in a dark corner of the closet when someone answered.

“Keep it down, would you? I think that woman came into here after she left.” Louis definitely knew that low voice. He'd heard it earlier; hell, he'd begged the speaker to kidnap him, which is why he was in his closet in the first place. “Think she was hiding from someone. Don't fancy meeting up with anyone who scares a woman.”

From his spot in the closet, Louis could hear both people pacing. The louder voice was coming closer to the closet and he pressed himself into the nearest corner, clutching at the duffel.

“We could swipe just one item from this room and be set for _ages_.” They were saying as they got closer and closer. Louis clamped a hand over his mouth, hoping that he couldn't be heard and that the men outside weren't alphas that could smell him beneath his perfume.

“We don't need to borrow more trouble. I'm just a beta and this place is crawling with alphas. And rich people. _Powerful_ rich people. And did I mention the _alphas_?”

“You're a spoilsport.” The voice was at the entrance of the closet. From where he was hiding, Louis couldn't see them, but it wouldn't take long before he was spotted. The only relief he had was that the man was definitely not an alpha, just another beta. “ _Jesus_ , look at these clothes. Your mystery lady has some pretty expensive tastes, Harry.”

“She's not my mystery lady, _Niall_.” Harry groused, his voice coming closer to the closet.

Louis clapped his other hand over his mouth, losing his death grip on his duffel, but it wasn't enough to cover the whimper that escaped him as both men were standing in the entrance.

“What was that?” Niall said, taking a few steps into the closet. It was no use then; Louis found himself staring up at a blond roughly his height dressed up in dark clothes with a black mask resting on top of his head. Behind him was the man Louis had been talking to earlier, had asked to kidnap him, still dressed like a knight, but his mask was now resting on top of his head as well. Without the mask, he was definitely handsome in a way that Louis saw in art but never in reality. He also created something that squirmed in Louis' belly, something that he was going to push to one side and examine at a later time, especially since he was a beta.

Louis pushed himself up off the floor, using the wall behind him for leverage, and clutched at his duffel once more.

“Shit, you're an _omega_.” Niall stared, jaw open. His blue eyes raked up and down Louis' body, but where Cowell's alpha friends – the ones that were eager to bid on Louis soon enough – would have made Louis' skin crawl, Niall's gaze made him feel nothing. “I've never seen a male omega before.”

“You're not a woman, then.” Harry didn't look at Louis the way his friend had, and that made the thing in Louis' belly squirm again. His green eyes flicked around the closet as if he wanted to look at anything else than a male omega.

“I'm not, no.” Louis said after a few minutes of silence had passed, beginning to worry that Liam might check his room for the missing omega. He'd smell the alpha before he'd hear him, but Louis' goal was escape and he'd rather not have to deal with Liam. “The deal still stands. Kidnap me, and I'll help you find your princess.”

“Deal. Grab whatever you need then. Only the essentials, though.” Harry turned, leaving the closet. Louis' eyes flicked toward Niall, only to find the beta still staring at him with something that was coming close to awe.

“Do you _mind_?” Louis made a face, pushing himself out of his corner and grabbing a few shirts from the nearby dresser. If it meant he wouldn't have to look at that stare, he was quite content to ignore Niall. “I'm already aware I'm the walking example of a rarity.”

“I've just. Never met a male omega.” Niall said, as if it were an explanation. Louis glanced at the beta out of the corner of his eye. If he were to guess, the beta was probably convinced that it _was_ a good enough explanation.

He finally sighed, grabbing a second pair of skinnies and a few pairs of pants from the dresser before pushing past Niall and leaving the closet. “Most people haven't. I don't want to talk about it, thank you very much.”

He didn't immediately see Harry as he left the closet, but he made his way to his vanity. He pressed a wrist to his nose, inhaling deeply. His scent was becoming more noticeable as his perfume wore off, he needed to remedy that if he wanted to leave without being noticed by the alpha guards. He had just picked up one of the bottles of perfume that lined the vanity, weighing it in his hand when Harry spoke again.

“Why the gown then?”

Louis didn't know why his suddenly slack fingers didn't drop the glass bottle to crash to the floor or why he didn't jump at the sound of Harry's voice, but he wasn't going to complain either. Instead, he just clutched the bottle to his chest a moment before spritzing his wrists and neck with it.

“I'm a male omega. Rare. Certain people don't want it out that I'm very much male, just that I'm an omega.” He realised distantly that he sounded bitter about it to complete strangers, but quickly decided he didn't care. “You ask a lot of questions for kidnappers.”

In the mirror of the vanity, he caught the glimpse of a smile on Harry's face from where he sat next to the gown, but before Harry could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

“Lou? Are you in there?” Nick. The son of one of Cowell's friends. From episodes of listening outside Cowell's study door, Nick's father was in talks with Cowell to be the highest bidder when Louis went up on the block. Like always, Louis' stomach churned at the thought; he didn't like Nick to begin with, found him too smarmy, too cocky. Louis would kill himself if the elder Grimshaw won the auction before he'd let Nick touch him.

Forcing all that down, Louis gestured toward the space under the bed frantically. It took a moment, but Harry and Niall seemed to get the message, crawling under there.

Once he was sure they couldn't be seen, Louis opened the door with an affected yawn, hiding it behind his hand. “Sorry, it's been a long evening, Mister Nick.”

 

From his spot under the bed, Harry couldn't see much. He wasn't entirely sure why he and Niall had been forced under the bed, but he also hadn't missed the sheer panic that had crossed the omega's face when the knock at the door had come. He hoped Niall had gotten the memo to be quiet as they stretched out in their hiding place, but he quickly realised it was a needless worry so he focused on the scene in front of them.

The omega in front of them, talking to an alpha that he'd addressed as Nick, was closer to the young woman he'd presented as downstairs than the omega that had emerged from the closet when they'd come in. Harry wondered if the act was another tool used to hide the fact that the omega was a rarity.

The omega crossed the room from the door, settling down at the vanity to begin to remove the elaborate feathers and pearls from his brown hair, clearly trying to dismiss the alpha at the door. “I'm very thankful you came to the ball tonight, but it's very late and you shouldn't be up here.”

“Wouldn't mind to be up here all the time, you know.” The alpha smiled, clearly not taking the hint and coming in, shutting the door behind him. From his hiding spot, Harry couldn't miss the panicked look the omega shot the closed door. He didn't know why the alpha missed it as the man approached the vanity, stopping just shy of touching the seated omega. “Your bodyguard's not around, Lou. No one would know.”

As the alpha trailed a hand down the omega's arm, Harry wasn't aware he'd started to growl until Niall clamped a hand over his mouth and shushed him as quietly as he could. Much like before, the alpha Nick hadn't noticed, but Lou's blue eyes flicked toward the hiding space and the omega gave a very discreet shake of his head.

The omega gently took Nick's hand in both of his, smiling shyly up at him. “Liam might come back. Cowell might come up. You'd be caught. It's really not worth it, honest.” The omega got up, walking the alpha to the door. “I'll see you tomorrow, won't I? You wouldn't be invited back if you do anything to hurt me.” The door was opened and the alpha was shooed out with a firm hand to his lower back. “Besides, I've heard rumours that would make you very happy. You only have to wait a bit longer.”

From where they were hiding under the bed, Harry couldn't see anything, but he knew something had happened when the door was shut and Lou slumped against it with a full body sigh. Harry was struck with the urge to go to the omega and was in the process of coming out to do so when the omega shoved himself away from the door and snatch up the discarded duffel.

“Sorry about that,” Lou said brightly, his tone and posture telegraphing that he didn't want to talk about what Niall and Harry had just witnessed. Harry wasn't entirely sure what they'd witnessed, so he was quite willing to let it go. Instead, he watched as the omega sprayed some perfume on his wrists and at his throat before tucking the bottle gently into the duffel. “Okay, I'm ready to be kidnapped now. I'll show you lads the back door.”

Despite everything in Harry telling him that they'd meet with some sort of resistance, they made it safely out the back door, avoiding all the guests and the servants. Their kidnap “victim” seemed to feel the same way, breathing a sigh of relief as they quickly made their way through the massive, torch and moonlit gardens.

“I don't know how you lads got in here, but there's a rarely used side entrance in the back corner over there.” The omega pointed, his short legs trying to keep up with Harry's long ones. “It should be just behind those bushes.”

“What about showing us the way to the princess?” Niall asked as they made their way in the direction Lou had indicated. “We were told she was here.” He glanced briefly at Harry. “We should wait for Z before we go, Haz.”

“He'll find his way back if we leave.” Harry turned to Lou. “But my partner's got a point. You did offer to help us find the princess we came here for if we kidnapped you.”

Lou opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, another voice, one that Harry had heard earlier back in the study when he'd been hiding with the omega back when he'd thought he was a young woman, broke out of the darkness.

“Louis? What do you think you're doing out here?”

Harry turned toward the speaker, coming almost face to face with a muscular alpha dressed like a clear bodyguard. The alpha's dark eyes weren't look at Harry, though; they were fixed on the omega. They flicked briefly toward Harry and Niall before back to the omega.

“Come back inside, Lou.” The alpha reached for the omega, who reared back and held the duffel bag up like a shield.

“I'm going with them, Liam.” The omega said, voice wavering a bit. “You know why I can't stay here.”

Harry didn't know why he took a step closer to the terrified omega, or why the action seemed to soothe the omega. Liam, the alpha, sighed, reaching up to rub his forehead.

“I know why you're upset, Lou, but you really should come back inside before Cowell finds out you're missing. He'll pitch a fit.”

Louis moved to hide behind Harry, looking in the direction they had been heading before the alpha had stopped them. “Liam. James sent them. I'm going to go with them.”

Niall blinked at Louis behind Harry. Even in the moonlight, Harry could see the confusion on his friend's face. He was pretty sure a similar expression was on his own face. “Excuse me? We don't know who hired us. We were never told that info, just that we'd be contacted again later. We didn't even find the princess we were sent to kidnap.”

“Can we please just leave? I'll explain everything once we get out of here and somewhere a lot safer than the Cowell gardens.” Louis' voice was quiet and delicately feminine, almost like it had been back in the bedroom when he'd been talking to the other alpha.

Liam heaved a sigh before either Harry or Niall could respond positively or negatively. “I'm not going to let you go anywhere without me.”

Niall grimaced, turning to Harry like he wanted to see if he felt the same. “Don't _we_ get a say in the matter? We got sent here to find a princess and we find, well.” He gestured at Louis. “You. No offense meant. And now we're taking an alpha along with us out of here? Those are some big red flags since we're trying to stay under the radar.”

The alpha in question growled, putting a hand on the omega's back in a clearly possessive manner. Harry expected that Louis would've had a similar reaction to Liam touching him that way as he had the alpha back in Louis' room, but instead, Louis just quietly leaned into the touch a bit. It was a reversal of his earlier action of pulling away, and more than a bit odd if anyone were to ask Harry.

“Louis has a point. You're thieves and kidnappers, whether or not Lou here is going willing with you.” Liam pushed Louis past the pair of them and toward the side entrance the omega had told them about. “You go without me, I'll raise the alarm and follow you wherever you take him.” He pushed the battered door open, gesturing out it. “Now, shall we go?”

 

 

Once they'd made it out of Cowell's gardens, everyone lapsed into silence as they filed along down the road lined with large mansions with equally large grounds. Louis knew that Liam was silent because the alpha wasn't happy with Louis' decision to go along with being kidnapped. He also figured that his kidnappers were quiet so they wouldn't be heard and therefore caught. But before he knew what he was doing, he was quickening his steps to catch up to Harry.

“Excuse me,” He began softly, not wanting to break the silence that held the small group in its grasp. Harry glanced briefly in his direction, smiling faintly. Louis hadn't noticed the dimples back at the party, and he wanted to stick a finger in them. He wasn't sure where that thought was even coming from, so he mustered on like the thought hadn't popped into his head. “You really don't know who hired you to kidnap m- the princess?”

He wondered if Harry heard the slip up, wondered if Harry was starting to put two and two together, but if he did, Harry wasn't letting on.

“No.” Harry gave a small shake of his head. “Why? Would it have something to do with who the princess is?” He glanced at Louis again, longer this time, as if he was trying to size up the small omega. “You really do know a lot more than you're letting on, aren't you?”

Louis twisted his fingers in the handles of his duffel bag before nodding. “I know who the princess is. At least as far as the Cowell mansion is concerned.” He let his gaze flicker back toward Liam, finding the alpha frowning at his back even as his bodyguard brought up the rear of their little group. “A family friend calls me that.”

Harry stopped immediately at that, and it took Louis a few steps past him to realise that the beta had stopped walking. It also didn't help that Niall proceeded to walk into Harry, yelping a bit in the dark and making Liam growl a warning.

“ _You're_ the princess we were sent to kidnap?” Harry's voice was too loud for the night, too loud for a getaway for all that Niall had been worrying about them getting caught. “That's why you were so amused by me talking about the princess. Why you were so eager to get kidnapped.”

“You've seen a slice of my life unfortunately.” Louis clutched his duffel close to him, using it as a shield. “There's more to it, but I need to get to my friend James' home. It's only a few houses down, and I'm sure that's who hired you. Like I said, no one else is the princess as far as the Cowell household is concerned.”

Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly in thought, and Louis wondered what was going through his head. Wondered if he was beginning to regret taking on this job at all, wondered if he regretted kidnapping a male omega. Hell, he was willing to kidnap someone he thought was a woman; for all Louis knew, Harry could be currently wondering if he could get a better price selling Louis on the black market.

He was just about to ask what was going through the beta's mind when it seemed like whatever the beta had been thinking about, he came to a conclusion on.

“Okay. I'm going to assume that everything you say is accurate. It's more information than Niall and I had before we entered that ball with our friend, and if your information isn't correct and we weren't hired by your friend, maybe we'll get better info at your friend's.” The beta tapped his longer fingers against his full lower lip and Louis couldn't help biting his own lower lip. He wasn't terribly sure why the beta made something squirm in his belly, but it did, and watching the beta's long fingers definitely did not help. “But I think, if you're incorrect that you were supposed to be who we kidnapped or that your friend wasn't the one who hired us, you're going to pay us in info.”

He twists his fingers in the handle of his duffel again, more than mildly relieved that that's the only price Harry's asking of him. It could've been a lot worse. Unfortunately, before he could open his mouth to agree to Harry's price, Liam spoke up with his arms crossed over his chest and a very serious and skeptical expression on his face.

“How do we know that that's all you're going to ask of Lou? You two may smell like betas, but it's easy enough to cover the smell of alphas and omegas. Louis has to do it all the time, as I'm sure you two have noticed.” The alpha's eyes skirted over Louis for a moment before landing back on Harry. “And besides, even betas can be interested in omegas, regardless of being able to breed them the way alphas are capable of doing.”

“Not that it's any of _your_ business,” Niall spoke up defensively, “but I'm not interested in _anyone_ , much less a male omega like him.” He jerked his thumb in Louis' direction and Louis, unused to not being desired by everyone who came near him, felt both offended and massively relieved that Niall, at least, wouldn't try anything. That did, however, leave Harry, and the longer he was in the beta's presence, the more Louis was starting to think maybe he _wouldn't_ mind if the beta were to try something, _anything_ , with him.

“While I will agree with you that it is possible to cover an alpha's scent and would be important in my line of work,” Harry began as if Niall hadn't said anything, “I'm not an arsehole and I wouldn't force myself on someone that wasn't interested, omega or otherwise. We were in Louis' room before you appeared, and we witnessed an interaction between him and an alpha named Nick.” He paused, looking Liam up and down as if suddenly aware that the alpha had started to growl since the beta had mentioned being in Louis' room before continuing. “I'm also a man of my word. If Louis isn't the princess we were hired to kidnap or his friend wasn't the one who hired us like Louis claims, I'm sure he knows something in that head of his that could lead us to who we were _supposed_ to kidnap.”

Liam looked angry enough to respond but Louis beat him to it, lowering the duffel he'd been shielding himself with. “It's a deal then. I don't think I'm wrong, but you're right. If anyone knows the Cowell household, outside of the Cowell family, it would be me.” He could see Liam getting ready to form an argument, begin a protest and he began to walk backwards in the direction of James' house. “It makes sense. If it got me out of that house, I'm willing to do whatever it takes, Liam. And if Harry's price was set at _that_ , I'd do it without hesitation. At least it meant I had a choice in the matter.” To be fair, while the words are spilling easily from his mouth, Louis wasn't entirely sure what _that_ actually entailed. He had vague ideas from the way that Cowell and his cronies spoke about him or looked at him, but Cowell kept him in the dark and left Louis to deal with the few heats he'd had since they'd started. But that was something he wasn't going to touch in the dark like this. “Come on, though. It's late in the evening and that ball is supposed to be breaking apart in the wee hours of the morning. Cowell's going to be aware I haven't been seen since I wandered away for a drink, and it's going to get out that Nick saw me in my room begging exhaustion, even though he shouldn't have been there in the first place.”

He turned, putting his back to the rest of the group. With each step he took, he was starting to see the marble wall that designated the separation between the Corden household and their closer neighbor. Past that high wall draped in dark ivy was the only source of freedom Louis could ever hope for. If nothing else, James would keep him hidden from Cowell and his cronies. Keep him safe from the horrible auction Cowell had planned in a few days' time.

He started to worry that his words had left them all behind, that Liam had decided that his omega charge was more trouble than he was worth, that his kidnappers had decided to try their luck and hand at an easier target than a mouthy, feminine omega. But that fear was soon dashed when Harry appeared at his side once more, and he could hear Liam and Niall's footsteps behind them.

They were nearly at the marble wall of their destination when Harry spoke again. It had been so silent except for the usual night sounds and the sounds of their shoes against the ground that it startled Louis into gasping.

“Did you really mean when you said back there? About the, well. You know?”

“You know?” Louis repeated a bit dumbly, glancing at the beta next to him, trying to gauge exactly what the man was after. “That I'd do whatever it would take?” Harry didn't say anything, just nodded. “I don't want to get into the fine details out here, but. Yes, I would. That house terrifies me. Why do you think I wanted a stranger to kidnap me? I took a big risk because I could be dead or worse right now. That's how much that house terrifies me.”

“I'm sorry.” Harry whispered, so softly that Louis wasn't sure he even heard him. Louis waited to see if he was going to offer anything else, but he didn't and they were soon at the gate before Louis could ask him why he was apologizing.

The beta guard posted to the front gate of the Corden estate was dozing at his station, snoring quietly. What hope Louis had inside him sunk a bit at that before he pulled himself to his full height and reached through the bars of the gate to curl his fingers in the man's shirt and gave him a good shake.

As the man sputtered and woke up, Louis frowned at him. “What sort of guard do you think you are, sleeping at your post like this? I should tell Sir Corden what an awful guard you are.”

The newly woken guard sputtered for another moment before he seemed to recover. “Sorry, sir. Sirs. It's just the late hour and there was no one coming and I just -”

Whatever he was going to say was stopped by Liam, who came up on Louis' other side. “Let us in and don't tell anyone you saw us and we won't tell Sir Corden that you were asleep at your post.” He bared his teeth, alpha role clear even in the dim light provided by the moonlight.”

The guard nodded, eyes wide and just a bit terrified, opening the gate quicker than Louis would've thought possible. He bowed to all of them, shutting the gate behind them. He turned terrified eyes to Liam. “You really won't tell the master I was sleeping on the job?”

“As long as you keep up your end of the bargain, no.” Liam told him a bit coldly before resting his hand on Louis' lower back and steering him toward the large mansion. It was as clear a dismissal as any Louis had ever heard. Behind him, Louis could hear Harry and Niall following and he found himself wishing that it was Harry's hand on his lower back instead of Liam's. Which was very weird and definitely an unexpected thought; he liked Liam very well and never wished that Liam's hand wasn't on him in the protective way that the alpha had about him when it came to Louis. Liam was, after all, one of Louis' only friends besides James.

They were nearly to the house when Harry finally closed the distance between them and appeared on Louis' other side. “What would you do to that guard if he told anyone he'd seen us?”

Louis wasn't sure if his bodyguard glanced in the kidnapper's direction, but he found himself doing exactly that. In the light spilling from the lower windows of the Corden mansion, Harry looked very worried about the fate of a guard who had been found asleep on the job. Louis wondered if Harry would turn that look on him if, no _when_ , he found out why Louis'd had to get out of Cowell's mansion.

He found himself hoping that he would. He didn't want to consider an alternative.

Liam said nothing as he led the way up the stairs, his hand still warm on Louis' lower back as he pushed the omega up the stairs with him, as much a brand on Louis' skin as anything Cowell had ever done. He continued to say nothing as he reached up to use the large knocker that adorned the door, and they could all hear it echo in the space beyond the door. Finally, he turned slightly toward Harry as if aware he'd been spoken to.

“Exactly what I said I would do.” He frowned a bit at the other man, as if wondering if the other could possibly be as slow as all that. “Tell Sir Corden that the man hired to protect the front gate from intruders was asleep on the job. Sir Corden, if you were not aware, is both a powerful man and a family man. He has small children. He would _not_ be pleased if something were to happen to them. He'd be just as not pleased if a family friend like Louis here was hurt. And if it were to get out that Louis escaped, well. If he were caught with you two, the least of _your_ worries would be that you'd be arrested and probably hung for kidnapping. Louis wouldn't nearly be so lucky because he's a lot more valuable alive than dead.”

Since he'd been watching Harry, Louis watched as Harry's face slowly drained of blood as Liam's words sunk in. He wasn't sure if it was the implication that Louis'd be raped for running away or the death threat to Harry and Niall that caused that, but the squirming feeling in his belly that kept returning whenever he looked at Harry was hoping that it was the former. Before he could ask, though, like everything else in this night of almosts, the door swung open to a yawning footman who looked surprised to see late night guests.

“Go tell your master he has guests, would you?” Liam spoke up in a commanding voice, even as he entered with Louis at his side. Much like the guard outside had, the servant sputtered sleepily a moment before he scurried off to do as he was told.

“Isn't it rude to just, y'know, enter?” Niall questioned as he and Harry followed them into a tastefully decorated parlor off to one side of the main foyer. “Don't you have to be invited in or sommat?”

Liam deposited Louis and the duffel bag he still clutched into a plush chair before he stepped to one side of the chair. Louis didn't have to look up to know that Liam was standing with his arms over his chest, looking at Harry and Niall like the perceived threats the bodyguard still thought they were. He knew, had known since he'd first met Harry at the ball and asked to be kidnapped by him, that he wasn't supposed to view them as anything more than a tool to be used to get the result he wanted. They were, after all, kidnappers, even if he'd wanted to be kidnapped and brought to this house. They were still a potential threat to him. He was very much aware that Liam was entirely within his right to view the pair across from them as such.

He wasn't supposed to feel a warm, squirming _thing_ in his belly whenever he looked Harry's way.

The silence stretched on to almost uncomfortable levels, no one seeming to acknowledge Niall's question. Louis rubbed his fingers against the arm of the chair, trying to focus on the soft fabric beneath his fingertips and not on the warmth in his belly.

Before the silence could reach actually uncomfortable, James came in, still dressed from the ball. His mask, not quite as opulent as Louis' had been although still more than the masks that Niall and Harry still had on their heads, was resting atop his slicked back dark blond hair. His blue eyes flicked from Harry to Niall to Liam before finally settling on Louis, and the man breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good, you're here. I hadn't seen you all night and Simon...” James trailed off, removing his mask and running a hand through his hair as he sank into another chair. “I was afraid the auction had been moved up because of everything recently, and that everything was going to be too late. That you wouldn't get be kidnapped beforehand.”

“The auction?” Harry repeated. While he'd glanced at Harry every time he'd spoken, this time Louis couldn't bring himself to look in his direction. He didn't want to know what he'd see on the other man's face. If it would be pity on his face, or scorn, or anything. He wasn't sure how he'd feel about any of those emotions playing on the other man's face, and he wasn't entirely sure why he was worried about what the other man would think or say. But he was sure it was tied to the squirming in his belly, and that was territory that Louis was both unsure and very naïve of. He couldn't go there; he couldn't _afford_ to, even if he wanted to.

And he really, really wanted to.

Instead, he ran his fingers along the fabric of the chair's arm again and concentrated on that. Anything to avoid looking at Harry. Anything to not have to speak, to have someone else speak for him. But the longer he said nothing, the more it was obvious that Liam and Jame weren't saying anything for him either.

He finally sighed. “You're already aware I'm rare. Not many male omega exist.” He continued to run his fingers in the fabric of the chair, eyes focused on his fingers. “Female omegas aren't that rare, but there's plenty of people willing to pay a lot of money for a female omega. Especially once her heats start.”

“And the same is true for male omegas like you?” Harry's voice was soft, and it's filled with so much understanding, that it made the warmth in Louis' belly expand to fill his whole body. He thought back to what he'd said before, about being willing to do anything to get out of Cowell's mansion, and he found himself wanting to amend that thought. He found himself willing to give himself to Harry just for understanding, just for sounding like he wasn't disgusted by everything that was going to happen to Louis if he'd stayed where he was.

Louis knew that he should look at James or at Liam, literally anywhere else, but he found himself looking at Harry instead, to see if the understanding in the beta's voice was there in his face, only to find that understanding and more was painfully obvious. He felt even more warmth at that, felt parts of his body respond in ways he'd only experienced in the few heats he'd had and he wasn't sure if it was obvious to anyone else. It might be; he wasn't looking at the only two alphas he knew. James might have been mated to his wife, but he was still an alpha, and Liam had had no interest in Louis since his heats had started.

“I was very young when Cowell bought me from a colleague. I've never known my parents. I've never really had a family. My whole life has been a fancy cage, with my main interactions with Cowell and Liam. Occasionally with Sir Corden and his family, but mostly Cowell and Liam.” Louis dropped his eyes. The longer he talked, the more sad Harry's face was as the beta watched him. Although Harry wasn't an alpha, and therefore someone that would properly satisfy him as an omega, the more Louis wanted to give himself to him. Just to have something that was entirely _Louis'_ , even if it wouldn't mean anything.

As if aware of where Louis' thoughts were going, James spoke up into the silence that sprang up after Louis had trailed off. James was always good at knowing where Louis' thoughts were going, even if they rarely spent time alone because Cowell wouldn't let Louis entirely out of his sight. “Cowell doesn't view Lou as a person, just something he can use. And a rare male omega fetches a very pretty coin. So Cowell was planning on having an auction for all his cronies, myself excluded because I believe that people aren't property, with Louis going to the highest bidder.”

“But he was dressed like a woman when I met him. Isn't that false advertisement?” Harry frowned.

“It doesn't matter.” Louis sighed. “None of the people that would be paying money would care, but I'm sure at this point they already know that I'm not actually a woman. They might not know I'm an omega, though. That's the whole point of having Liam around. That's why I wear women's perfume to cover my smell.” He laced his fingers together, watching the pattern they made. “I'm going to trade one cage for another. Someone's going to claim me, foist their spawn on me, and sell those children into cages of their own.”

“That's horrible.” Niall spoke up. Focused as he'd been on Harry, Louis had forgotten that Niall was even there.

“It's both horrible and unfair, yes.” James answered, pulling his mask off and setting it on a nearby table. “That's why I hired people to kidnap him, although not necessarily in those words.”

“Kidnap the princess.” Harry covered his face with one hand, obscuring it, but Louis could see that there was a small smile on his face. It didn't strike him as a humorous smile, though. “Louis was right all along.”

“I wouldn't have had you bring Lou here though,” James went on, as if he hadn't heard Harry. He ran a hand along his jaw, scratching at the faint stubble there. “It's going to be a bit sticky for the next few days, especially once it gets out that Lou's missing.”

“We're good at staying low.” Niall said, voice defensively. “We're good at this sort of thing.”

Harry sent Niall a look that Louis couldn't read, but it seemed to take all the fight out of Niall's sails. The blond beta sunk onto a nearby sofa, arms over his chest and blue eyes fixed on a point on the far wall. Once he seemed to be reassured that there'd be no quarter from Niall, Harry turned back to James. “We'd be safe here for a day or so, right? Just enough for things to start dying down, so they're not looking for people who look strange and out of place.”

“You're exactly that,” Liam muttered, but James nodded.

“Definitely. I'll go get your money and send a servant in to show you up to our guest rooms.”

 

A maid showed them to some of the plushest rooms Harry'd ever set his eyes on. He wasn't surprised that Louis and Liam were shown into one room, and Liam gave Harry a warning expression as he gently pushed Louis into their room. He was a bit surprised that, during the whole encounter, the small omega looked very sad at him as he did as told.

It reminded him too painfully of everything that had been said in the parlor downstairs, where Louis had come clean about why he'd wanted to be kidnapped. Harry's heart broke for the omega, even as he was thankful that he'd never be forced into that position himself.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, still staring at the closed door that hid the omega from him, that he missed when the maid showed him to his room. He only came back to reality when she cleared her throat.

“Sir? Your room?”

He shook himself, pulling himself out of thoughts that would lead places they couldn't even though he had no idea why he was thinking them, before smiling at the maid. “Thanks.”

He walked into the room he'd been given, and had another couple of surprises: there was a tub full of steaming water waiting for him and Niall didn't follow him in. He turned to the maid questioningly, and found her smiling to herself.

“Sir Corden thought that you and your friend would like separate rooms and possibly a bath after the ball. He's had sleeping clothes left on a chair you can borrow for the evening.”

“Thank you,” Harry found himself saying, and actually meaning it. He shortly found himself alone in the room and staring at the tub in something that felt close to awe. It _had_ been a long time since he'd been able to properly soak in a bath, and the longer he stood there contemplating the water, the closer to a decision he made.

He'd just pulled his shirt off, setting it and the mask he'd yet to discard on a chair by the door, when there was a tiny knock on the door. Assuming it to be Niall or even Sir Corden with their payment, he went to answer the door.

It wasn't Niall or Sir Corden. Instead, it was something that was very much out of Harry's fantasies.

Louis stood there in only a nightshirt that was a few sizes too big, sliding off one shoulder and making him look so much smaller than he'd had before. A faint blush dusted his cheeks, and he kept his eyes downcast on the small bag in his hands. Every so often, his long lashes would flick up toward Harry's face before looking back down.

“Liam's asleep,” the omega finally said by way of greeting, eyes still downcast. Harry found himself wishing that Louis would look him in the eye. “And James was going to knock on your door and deliver what he owed you, but. I wanted to see you one last time in case you were gone by the time I woke.”

 _”You shouldn't be here,”_ was what Harry wanted to say, faced with this image before him, wanting more than he should all of a sudden, but found himself saying, “Come in then” instead.

Louis' blue eyes looked up at him before the other man gave a small nod and came in. The movement caused the nightshirt to slide down yet another fraction, baring more skin, and Harry was struck with the sudden urge to lick and taste the omega's delicate collarbones that were being revealed by the nightshirt.

Harry closed the door softly behind Louis and they stood there awkwardly a moment before Louis' eyes landed on the tub still waiting. His eyes snapped back to Harry as if suddenly aware that Harry was standing there without a shirt on.

“Did I interrupt a bath? I'm sorry.” He set the small bag on Harry's shirt and made a move to open the door once more, but Harry found himself grabbing the other man's wrist. Keeping the omega in his room would lead to disaster for both of them, but at the same time, Harry was beginning to tire of hiding who he actually was from Louis. And that was very odd; after tonight, Harry'd go back to his life and, if he were lucky, Louis would go on to have a better life in Sir Corden's house.

“Stay,” Harry found himself saying, tugging Louis closer. “You could join me in the bath. Wouldn't have to go to bed smelling like sickly sweet perfume.”

This close, he could count every freckle that dotted Louis' cheeks, count every lash that lined those expressively deep blue eyes. Harry could, would gladly drown in those eyes. He could also smell, beneath the feminine perfume, the very _scent_ of this small omega in his arms, and it was twisting his gears in a way that Louis' perfume back at the ball hadn't.

“You don't want to go, do you?” He whispered, watching as Louis' eyes grew darker and felt his skin flush warm. He didn't miss the small moan that escaped from those thin lips.

“I don't...” Louis began, failed, tried again. “You're not an alpha, though. I shouldn't.... I'm an omega.”

“I'm not really a beta,” Harry admitted, voice low as he toed his boots off blindly and began to walk backwards toward the tub. He pulled Louis along by the wrist for a couple steps before he moved his hand to the omega's hip, fitting his fingers along the generous curve they found there. The curve of Louis' hip reminded Harry of Louis' earlier statement about how he'd be kept terrified and pregnant and would lose each and every one of those children to greed and he couldn't help the low growl that escaped his throat.

The growl startled Louis, though, and he began to pull away, a scared look beginning to cross those painfully beautiful features. It made the alpha Harry kept hidden in his skin from everyone want to destroy and burn everything that would put that look on this little omega's face.

Instead, though, he rested both hands on Louis' hips, letting the omega only get as far as arm length. “I meant what I said earlier, about not forcing anything with anyone. But I can _smell_ you, and you want this as much as I do.” The moan that fell from Louis' lips at his words was louder than before, and the omega immediately stilled. He didn't do anything else, though, and it made Harry realise that the omega was completely untouched. “Your bodyguard had the right idea of me. I work with betas and cover up my alpha smell, same way you cover up your omega smell.”

“I have a say?” Louis whispered even as his body moved closer once more.

Harry couldn't help himself; he took the movement for an opportunity to slide his hands up the omega's sides even as he kept the nightshirt firmly down to allow him the illusion of privacy. “You always have a say with me. But, if you'd like, your first time can be with someone who isn't interested in hurting you.”

He didn't know what he was saying, although he meant every word. If anything _were_ to happen, and nothing happened beyond that, Louis'd still have one night that was about _him_ and _his_ pleasure.

The silence stretched on so long that Harry was beginning to think that either Louis had missed the offer entirely or had been raised in such a way that _any_ alpha that touched him was allowed to keep their hands on him and take whatever they wanted from him. Both options twisted his gut into something ugly and made him want to burn everything.

But finally, _finally_ , Louis' hands dropped to the hem of the nightshirt and the omega was tugging it off to let it fall to the ground forgotten. All of Harry's encounters with this omega had progressively led to less and less clothing, from the elaborate costume to bare skin, and this, _this_ was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

“You're staring,” Louis whispered, fingers clutching uselessly at air, like he wanted to grab at the hands grazing along his bare skin. “Burns a bit.”

“You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, sorry.” Harry whispered back, hands sliding back down to the generous curve of Louis' hips and pulling him into a kiss. From the way that his mouth opened, Harry could tell that, like everything else that was going to happen, Louis'd never been kissed before. He licked his way inside the warmth of the omega's mouth, backing him away from the tub and toward the bed.

They fell onto it with a little 'oof' from Louis, who sprawled in the most sensual way Harry'd ever seen a person sprawl, and it had _everything_ to do with the fact Louis didn't know what he was doing. Harry couldn't help it; he pulled back again to look Louis over, trying to memorize every inch of pale skin.

“You're staring again,” the omega flushed and Harry watched as the blush spilled down across the delicate collarbones he'd wanted to lick and taste earlier. But for all the embarrassment on the omega's face and in his voice, it was obvious that the omega was also enjoying the attention because Harry could see the omega's cock harden under all the attention.

“Can't help it,” he admitted, unable to keep himself from touching the omega's cock and drawing out what he hoped was going to be the first of many low moans that evening. “Whatever happens after tomorrow, I'm going to make sure you never forget me.”

“I don't think I could.” Louis whispered, eyes closing as Harry began to stroke him slowly. “Don't know what- what I'm doing though.”

“Let me, then.” He ducked down to kiss Louis slowly, licking his way back into his mouth and stroking him. Louis was a quick study; this kiss quickly deepened until they were both panting into each other's mouths and trying to battle for dominance.

A low moan, longer than any prior, fell from Louis' mouth as the omega arched up under him. Harry could tell from the sounds and the expression on Louis' face that the omega was beginning to fall apart under his hand. If it had been anyone else, Harry would have pulled his hand away, made it so that everything would last until he'd gotten inside his partner, but this was different. _Louis_ was different. So he picked up his strokes, flicking his thumb across the delicate head of Louis' cock.

It didn't take long before the young man beneath him fell completely apart, coming with a moan Harry had to muffle into a kiss. The last thing he wanted was anyone hearing the omega; the last thing he needed was _Liam_ hearing his charge.

He moved his hand to stroke idly along the mess Louis had made on his stomach as the omega panted and whined as he came down from his orgasm before giving in and nipping at a collarbone. The action caused the omega to laugh a bit breathlessly.

“Where were you when I had my first few heats?” The omega giggled, eyes still closed as if he thought Harry would vanish if he were to open his eyes.

“Haven't even done anything better than stroke you.” Harry found himself smiling at the faint praise, and found himself rewarded when the omega's blue eyes blinked back open.

“I want you for all my future heats.” Louis whispered in the space between them.

“I want to be there for your future heats.” Harry whispered back. To be honest, he wasn't even sure where that thought had come from, but once it was out there for Louis to hear, he knew it was true. Even if Cowell managed to re-find Louis and sell him off to the highest bidder, Harry'd find him again and make sure each and every heat Louis went through was satisfied in ways that Louis' master couldn't satisfy. And it was all very odd because they'd only known each other for a few hours; they shouldn't be discussing forever.

They laid like that in silence for a few minutes, Harry ghosting his fingers along Louis' warm skin and Louis watching him with still dark eyes and the cum cooling on his belly.

“There's more to it than that, though, isn't there?” Louis finally said, sounding a bit apprehensive, as if the thought were something horrible. Harry would've felt offended that anything that could, _would_ happen between them could be horrible, but he realised that Louis was asking from a place of naivete. From a place where someone was going to hurt him in ways that were unimaginable and inhuman to Harry.

Harry couldn't imagine spending every day with the knowledge that some day, his future partner was going to use and abuse him. He was struck with the sudden urge of scooping the little omega into his arms and running off into the night with him, to some place they'd never be found and that Harry would spend every night worshipping the omega like he deserved.

Instead, though, he pulled back to finish removing his clothes and, once naked, scooped up the omega and carried him to the tub. Louis shivered a bit as he was placed in the tub, smiling up at Harry.

“Water's a bit cool.”

Harry couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped him as he climbed in behind the omega and settled down. The tub was large enough to have been comfortable with just him, but with the pair of them, it felt a bit cramped, but not unpleasantly so. “We got a bit distracted when it was piping hot.” He smiled wide when Louis turned around in his arms, straddling his legs. He couldn't help himself; he slid his hands down to cup the omega's bum and squeezed it a bit. “Can't say I'm terribly upset. You're beautiful when you come apart.”

Not unexpectedly, another blush graced Louis' delicate cheeks at the compliment. What was unexpected, even given the knowledge that Harry wanted to follow Louis to the ends of the Earth if he had to, was that Harry suddenly wanted to be around long enough that simple compliments, simple acknowledgement of Louis' very existence, wouldn't create such a reaction, even as he also hoped that it would never truly go away.

“Bet you say that to all the omegas you have your way with.”

“I'm not going to pretend that I haven't had other lovers, no.” Harry found himself saying quite casually, even as he squeezed Louis' bum again. He couldn't help it; it was a very nice bum and he was only a man, even if he was an alpha. “And I'm sure I've paid them a few compliments too. But you're the first one that I've wanted to pay them without expecting anything in return.” He leaned forward with the intention of kissing Louis' sharp jawline, but the other man turned his head at the last second to catch their mouths together. “Mostly because you seem starved for the attention.”

“I am definitely that,” Louis admitted shyly, shifting his way in Harry's lap as if he were suddenly aware that everything that had happened just moments ago, and everything currently happening had gotten Harry's rather undivided attention. The action caused Harry's hand to slip between Louis' cheeks and brush against the omega's entrance, making the omega gasp at the new sensation.

“To answer your earlier question, there's definitely more.” Harry ghosted his fingers across Louis' entrance again, feeling him leak and watching yet another blush cross the omega's face even as he moaned. “Don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. You know that.”

Louis shifted his hips, getting more comfortable in Harry's lap and pushing back against his questing fingers. “I want it all, if just for tonight.” The blush deepened, as if he were aware of what he was saying and how wanton he sounded saying it, especially after being apprehensive before. “Just because I _could_ ask for it. You wouldn't hurt me, right? You said?”

“Wouldn't dream of it.” Harry leaned up to kiss him slowly, using the distraction to press a finger past the tight ring of muscle. The distraction worked like a charm; instead of wincing like Harry'd thought he would, Louis moaned into his mouth at the breach.

“That-” Louis' voice cracked into another gasping moan, hips rocking back as his head fell back. “ _More_?”

“Usually, people get used to one first.” Harry kissed the ethereal line of the omega's neck even as he teased, suddenly having the urge to bite down and claim what belonged to him. Which was a jarring thought he'd examine more thoroughly after everything, maybe even tomorrow, but for now, he added a second finger, aided by the slick he felt spilling into the water.

“We could, _aaah_ , wake someone up. Liam.” Much like he had with kissing, Louis seemed to be a quick student here too, because he rolled his hips in just the _right_ way that he was caught between Harry's hard cock and his fingers. It was all Harry could do to add a third finger into the slick warmth of the omega and stretching him more, instead of just removing his fingers and slamming up into the waiting heat. He had a sudden mental image of all the things he could do to this delicate omega when he went into heat next, heaven be damned if the omega was still his at that time or not.

Spurred on by the mental image, he twisted his fingers inside Louis, causing the loudest moan yet to fall from his lips and Harry just knew he'd found the right spot. It was also too much for him; any more moans like that and Harry'd come without being touched. He quickly pulled his fingers out, causing Louis to whimper at the loss.

“Got something better than my fingers, love,” Harry whispered, moving his hands to Louis' hips and pulling him closer.

Like the wanton little thing the omega was becoming under Harry's fingers, Louis wiggled deliciously in Harry's lap, letting his entrance brush against the head of his cock. Harry groaned even as Louis smiled innocently. “You promise?”

“C'mere, you,” Harry couldn't help growling, pulling down on Louis' hips even as he snapped his up and pushed into the willing omega. He tilted his head up to catch the groan that fell from the omega's lips, kissing him deeply until he bottomed out and Louis' haunches rested on Harry's thighs.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Louis whispered against Harry's lips, eyes closed and face unreadable. For a moment, Harry thought his eyes were closed because he was in pain, despite all of Harry's reassurances and everything he'd done to make sure he wouldn't hurt the smaller man. But then Louis rocked his hips experimentally. “I want you for _all_ my heats. You feel _amazing_.”

Harry couldn't help it; he burst out laughing at that. Louis' eyes shot open and for a split second, the omega looked so indignant that he was being laughed at, and he rocked his hips again. _That_ caused Harry's laughter to die out into a low moan, curling his fingers around Louis' hips again.

“You feel amazing yourself.” Harry nipped at Louis' lower lip, using his grip on Louis' hips to guide him up. “How about I handle this first one and you can take the lead during your next heat, yeah?”

Louis' eyes went dark again at that, and another moan fell from his mouth. But that could have also been because Harry had snapped his hips up. They managed a couple more rolls like that, with Harry guiding Louis' hips in riding him and Harry snapping his hips up in just the right way that had Louis' eyes rolling back into his head when Harry growled again despite himself.

“'s not enough like this.” He addressed no one in particular as he guided Louis' hips up and off him. Louis made a questioning sound, the sound a half whimper at the loss, but Harry picked him up and laid him back down on the bed. “Want you to remember me, if I can't be there in the future, and it wasn't the right angle in the bath.”

As Louis made another questioning sound, watching Harry with dark eyes as the inexperienced omega tried to figure out what the alpha was planning, Harry hooked one of Louis' legs over his shoulder and pushed back inside the warm, welcoming heat. Just like before, the omega moaned in pleasure at that, eyes rolling back into his head.

“See?” Harry ran his teeth along the line of the omega's neck as it was presented to him and snapping his hips forward to bottom out against the omega once more. “ _Much_ better angle like this.”

“Feels-” Louis moaned, arching up a bit under Harry. “Feels so much better.”

Harry began an easy pace, making sure he hit Louis' spot with each snap of his hips. It wasn't much longer before he could feel his impending orgasm looming, and he quickly wrapped his hand around Louis' cock to help him along before it happened. He wasn't quite sure who came first, but he promptly swallowed the loud moan from Louis that threatened to wake the whole house with a kiss even as he pushed in as deep as he could.

“S-sorry,” Louis giggled when they finally parted for air, hips rolling up like he was trying to find relief from Harry still buried inside him. “I like this.”

Harry smiled despite himself. “I like this too. Definitely a thing for your future heats?”

The omega propped himself up on an arm to kiss the alpha sweetly. “Definitely.”

 

 

 

Louis didn't remember falling asleep at James', much less in Harry's room, so when he woke up slowly, it took a few moments of disorientation to place where he was. The smell of sex was still heavy in the morning air, the scents of alpha and omega combining in such an intoxicating way that he could feel himself slicking up for yet another round. He'd lost track of how many rounds they'd gone last night after his third orgasm, like Harry was making good on every heat he'd missed since Louis had completely presented, and quite frankly, Louis was surprised he wasn't nearly as sore as he'd expected.

“I could get used to you, I think,” He whispered aloud, rolling over. He'd expected to find Harry, probably still asleep next to him, but he wasn't altogether surprised Harry'd left. After all, as a kidnapper, Harry couldn't spend the _whole_ time lying low from kidnapping a rare male omega, shagging Louis within an inch of his life. Although, the thought of spending the rest of his life with his legs wrapped around Harry's waist sounded pretty _damn_ good to Louis.

He curled up in the warm spot left by Harry – so at least the alpha had spent the night after all of the wonderful sex – and wondered briefly if he was being a bit naïve. Just because the alpha had _promised_ to shag Louis through all his future heats, regardless of whether or not they were together, didn't necessarily mean that he meant it in the morning light. Maybe all the compliments Harry had been giving him the night before were just pretty little baubles the alpha had presented a stupid, naïve little omega who'd never been touched before.

Louis quickly shut his thoughts off after that thought. It sounded too much like what Cowell had told him if he ever found himself alone with an alpha that wasn't Liam. Harry had been nice, and even if everything fell apart like shattered glass in the morning light and Cowell were to come through that door at that instant, at least Louis had a night of choices _he'd_ made. No one else. Cowell could take plenty away from him, but he couldn't take _that_ away.

Thinking about last night made Louis wrap his arms around his stomach with a quiet smile. He didn't think Harry'd knotted him – a filthy term that he'd heard Cowell throw to his cronies – but he couldn't help wondering if maybe Harry had; maybe he even had something to remember Harry by, besides the good memories, even if he hadn't been in heat. When it had been the ugly, cruel faces of Cowell's cronies or even Nick's somewhat kind face, Louis'd always been terrified of the thought of being pregnant. Terrified of having something, some _one_ he'd carried inside him for nine months ripped away from him and probably sold by their father into the same situation Louis himself was in. After all, even for something created in violence like the way a baby like that would be created, Louis'd always thought he could learn to love something inside him like that, and he was terrified that they'd be sold just like he'd been. It wouldn't matter what their gender was to their father, or if they wound up presenting as alpha or beta and therefore more common.

But if it were a baby that had the sweet face of Harry, with the same green eyes? Louis'd be gone for that little baby in the same way he was gone for the father. He couldn't help the little giggle that escaped at that realisation; he really _was_ gone for Harry, even if he never saw the alpha again.

As caught up in his thoughts as he was, it didn't automatically register with Louis when the bedroom door flew open. He was even slower to realise Cowell was standing in the doorway, looking livid. He managed, briefly, to convince himself that Cowell was just part of a bad dream he was having, but that belief was soon dashed when Cowell stormed over to the bed and grabbed his wrist in a painful grip.

He dimly heard James in the doorway, shouting something that Louis couldn't hear, as Cowell roughly yanked Louis out of the warm bed and practically threw him to the floor like a child throwing an unwanted toy. Before Louis could push himself back up, put up some sort of fight, Cowell was hauling him up by the same abused wrist, his dark eyes scanning Louis' naked body. A black scowl slowly grew on the alpha's face as he twisted Louis' arm around to continue the examination.

“You fucking little _slut_ ,” Cowell snarled, jabbing a finger hard into a bruise Louis hadn't noticed on his hip. As he let out a yelp at that, Louis could hear Liam in the background growling. Liam wouldn't do anything to Cowell, _could do nothing_ to Cowell, but that wouldn't stop Liam's protectiveness of Louis. “You'd just let anyone have you, wouldn't you, you little whore?”

Louis chose to ignore the insults, trying to pull his arm away from Cowell and whimpering when all the action did was hurt it more and cause Cowell to grip it all the tighter. “How did you even find me? How did you even know I was _here_?”

“I should just throw you to my staff, let them have their way with you.” Cowell said over Louis' questions. “But that would ruin my other plans.” He loosened his painful grip on Louis' arm, using it to shake him once. “You didn't _mate_ with him, did you? I don't see any mating marks, but you're covered in bruises and scratches, slut.” Cowell shook him again. “You probably let him knot you, didn't you? Let him get you pregnant.”

“I don't know what you're talking about, sir!” Louis found himself crying out in pain. “Please, just. Let me _go_. I'm probably not even good for your plans anymore.”

Cowell released him with a suddenness that made Louis find himself on the floor for the second time that morning. “I wouldn't say that.” He turned, heading for the door and paused long enough to throw Louis' discarded nightshirt at him. “Get dressed, whore. I've got to bump plans up since you've cocked everything up because of some alpha you thought was doing you a favour.”

“Now, don't start that.” James frowned. “That may be how things work in your house, but in _mine_ , we treat everyone with the respect they deserve.”

“No one cares how you run things in your cock-up of a house.” Cowell growled as he pushed past James, heading for the stairs. “Make sure _my property_ is dressed and heading for my house in half an hour.” Before he'd disappeared from the room entirely, Cowell turned to Louis once more with a sneer on his face. “And you better be home in half an hour. If you aren't there and getting ready for your new owner within the hour, I will drag you back home as you are and _everyone_ will see you for the whore you really are.”

Louis couldn't help what happened next. As soon as he heard the front door slam shut behind Cowell, he burst into tears. He didn't care that he was sprawled naked on the floor, didn't care that James crossed the room to him with soothing words and apologies that he didn't know how Cowell had known where Louis was, didn't care that Liam stormed in the same direction Cowell had gone.

All he cared about was that, for as close to a new life as he'd been, it was all gone in the blink of an eye.

 

 

Harry felt like the biggest arsehole on the planet. No, scratch that: he _was_ the biggest arsehole on the planet. He'd snuck out of his room before the sun had risen, he'd snuck out on _Louis_ before the sun had risen. Before Louis had _woken_. Louis, who smelled _amazing_ to him, like sex and the ocean and rain. Louis, who'd had Harry's alpha panting for his omega in ways Harry'd never felt before. Louis, who Harry would choose time and time again. Louis, who Harry wanted to be there for for every heat, and who Harry wanted to be there for all of Harry's ruts.

God. Harry really _was_ the biggest arsehole on the planet. Maybe he could make it up to Louis the next time they crossed paths, if Louis'd forgive him for vanishing after the night they'd shared. He should've marked Louis, claimed him as his mate, knotted him and given him children that wouldn't have been sold by a father that didn't want them or only viewed them as something to make money off. Could always do that the next time they were together, the next time they were _naked_ together.

Then again, what if Louis didn't take him back? What if his having left while Louis was out cold from everything they'd done together was a deal breaker for the omega? What if Louis had decided that his leaving had negated everything Harry had said the night before? What would Harry do then, in that case?

But. _But_. Even though he was an omega, Louis was everything that was out of Harry's reach. Louis was in a class so far above Harry that just a night with Louis was more than Harry deserved in his life. Louis deserved an alpha that didn't make their living stealing things and taking on kidnapping schemes, even if the latter was a rarity. Louis was Harry's first kidnapping, while Harry had been Louis' first in other things.

Lost in a world of maybes and what ifs, he was only dimly aware that Zayn and Niall were arguing around him. He wasn't sure what the argument was about, had missed the beginning of it, and was about to do something about that – maybe even tell the pair of them he was really an alpha and had been hiding it from them so that things wouldn't have been different - when there was a knock on the door.

Niall went to answer the door, frowning at the intrusion. Still lost in his world of maybes and what ifs, it didn't register to Harry that Liam, of all people, was at the door and looked extremely agitated as he talked to Niall.

And then he heard Louis' name, effectively snapping him out of his daydream. Harry sat up in his seat quickly, eyes locked on Liam's face. “What did you say?”

“I said,” Liam paused, panting softly and trying to catch his breath like he'd run a great distance. He probably had; the tiny flat that Harry shared with his fellow thieves was half a city away from the great estate that Louis called home, but it might has well have been an entire _world_ away for all the differences between the two. “Cowell showed up to Sir Corden's and took Louis back with him. I think the auction for Louis got bumped up to today.”

Harry felt all the blood drain from his face at Liam's words before he stumbled to his feet. “I've got to save him, kidnap him again.”

“Harry, think rationally.” Niall told him, face worried and just as pale as Harry was sure his own face was. He distantly wondered if the beta's mind was going to the same place that Harry's mind was going; that Louis would belong to someone else by that night, that Louis would be _with_ someone that night. That Louis was probably terrified at that very moment, was _going to be_ terrified later. “You can't just kidnap someone two days in a row. Cowell's probably got guards in place by now to keep you from doing exactly what you're planning.”

“I can't just do _nothing_ , Niall!” Harry protested, starting to pace the floor as he tried to work out a plan for getting back into Cowell's mansion. Since it was going to be an auction, they didn't have the luxury of masks like the ball last night. Sir Corden had said it that the auction was only going to be for people Cowell knew personally, so Harry probably wouldn't have the luxury of hiding in a crowd again. Maybe... Maybe he could just wing a plan, make it up as he went. Louis'd like a plan like that, he thought; he could use the rescue mission to get back into the omega's good graces.

All he needed was Liam's help in getting into Cowell's mansion.

He whirled around to the alpha bodyguard. “Do you think you can get me inside?”

 

 

 

Louis felt like a sacrificial lamb. Standing naked in his opulent bedroom – his opulent _cage_ \- freshly scrubbed, pampered, and washed within an inch of his life, he stared at the outfit that Cowell wanted him to wear for the auction in a few hours. It was a thin silk chemise with panties, thigh high stockings and garters, an equally thin silk robe, and the wings from his costume of the ball from last night. It was all very white and very revealing.

He wasn't just supposed to _look_ like a sacrificial lamb; Cowell had every intention of his _being_ a sacrificial lamb for one of Cowell's cruel friends. They might have been silk, expensive garments, but it was very obvious to even his still somewhat naïve brain that the garments had been chosen solely for the fact that they'd be easier to rip off him in what would essentially be his wedding night, even if there wouldn't be a ceremony.

Louis wanted to start crying. He knew it wouldn't do any good if he started; he'd be unable to stop and it wouldn't help his cause. It wasn't like Cowell's cronies would regret their actions if they saw him crying; it wasn't like Cowell himself would change his mind if he saw the tears streaming down Louis' face. It would probably make them more interested in the act of his rape, even more likely to turn him into a party favour, just to make him cry _more_.

He felt his eyes burn, felt wetness on his cheeks, and he quickly rubbed his cheeks.

“None of that, none of that,” he told himself sternly, taking a deep breath as he reached for the chemise. He kept up the pep talk as he started to get dressed. “Whoever wins the auction might have your body, but they can't have your soul or your emotions. You've given that away. Harry might not ever come back, but he's got the best parts of you. And maybe some day, you'll get pieces of that back and you'll give them to whatever children you'll have. So _they'll_ have something to cling to when they're growing up like you did.”

As he put his wings on, Louis caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror of his vanity. Much like he'd thought he would, he looked every inch the sacrificial lamb. No, nearly the lamb. His face was still his. It was still the thing that Harry had gotten last night when Louis'd had a choice in the matter. And that would just not _do_.

“That's not right.” Louis told himself, crossing the room to his vanity and sitting down in the chair. He pulled closer the bits and bobs that he needed to transform himself into a proper sacrifice.

“Make it a show.” He whispered as he worked his foundation into his skin. “Make yourself up proper.” He dusted eyeshadow across his eyelids. “Don't give them _you_.” He went on as he lined his eyes with eyeliner to make them pop. “The only one to ever get _you_ is Harry.” On went the lipgloss and lip liner. “Don't give yourself away.” The blush. “Don't let them take you away from yourself.” His hair got pulled back and styled as elegantly as he could.

“They don't get _you_.” Finally, he was done and stared into the mirror at the end result. The outfit he'd been forced into might have screamed virginal sacrificial lamb, but he'd made sure his makeup and hair said seductive siren. Cowell couldn't take that from him, he'd make sure of it.

He stared into the mirror a moment longer at that final thought before he looked down at his vanity. A jeweled hair stick rested near the tiny row of perfumes that covered his scent and before he could stop himself, before he was even aware his hand had moved, it was in his hand. For a thin piece of hammered silver glittering with butterflies created out of sapphires and white gold, it weighed heavily on his fingers like the bright insects held hidden secrets he couldn't hear. He absently thumbed the other end of the stick, not quite sure where his thoughts were leading him but not sure he wanted to stop them. It was a dull point – it was a hair stick, after all, and only for decoration – but with enough motivation and willpower, maybe....

He pressed his free hand against his abdomen, as if there was a tiny life in there he couldn't feel yet, wasn't aware of yet. “I'm so sorry,” He whispered to that fictional life, to his reflection. Like apologizing to a life that didn't exist yet helped where his thoughts were going. “I'm so sorry that I won't ever get to meet you. That you'll never get to see this world.” He closed his fingers around the hair stick, closing his eyes briefly as he made his mind up, before he stuck the hair stick into his hair. “But it's for the best. This world is not for you and I, baby. It's better this way.”

Louis wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure at this point: a fictional baby he'd never have or himself. He wasn't sure it even mattered.

 

 

Getting in turned out to be the easy part. Liam had managed to slip himself, Harry and his friends in through one of the servants' entrances of the mansion. To be fair, Harry wasn't entirely sure what Zayn and Niall thought they were going to do to help him rescue Louis from being auctioned off like cattle to someone. Liam made sense; after all, being Louis' bodyguard, Liam had every right to be in the Cowell mansion. Liam had every right to get close to Louis if necessary. But at the same time, if Harry were honest with himself, he was glad his friends were there. He might not have more than a vague idea of a plan, but he was glad he wasn't flying solo with it.

“Where would Cowell have the auction?” Zayn asked in a low voice, as if he assumed that Harry was too busy trying to formulate a better rescue plan, too busy trying to form an escape plan, to ask the serious questions of Liam. Zayn wasn't exactly _wrong_ , but Harry was still coming up with roadblocks and was hoping that once he got Louis free of Cowell's clutches, Louis'd have those answers.

“In the biggest room, I'd say.” Liam answered, drawing a quick map out for them on a sheet of scrap paper. They were currently in a smaller study than the one Louis had dragged Harry into the night before, one that didn't smell quite so heavily of alpha. If he'd had to wager a guess with the part of his mind not formulating his plans, or lack thereof, Harry would've guessed it was a study for the butler of the mansion or some similar role. “That'd be the ballroom here.”

“Okay, I know where that is.” Niall pointed when Liam marked the room in question before he paused. “Well, not in relation to _this_ room.”

Liam hid a smile. “It's only down the hallway to the right when we leave here. Can't miss it, large doors and all.”

Harry pulled himself out of his thoughts, feeling agitated that they were still in this cramped study and not doing more important things. Like rescuing Louis before he was sold off. “Can we go there then? Preferably soon?”

Zayn looked sharply at him. “Do you have a plan then? Or are you just going to burst into the ballroom and yell that you object to the travesty of whatever's going on?”

Aware that he had three pairs of eyes on him, Harry childishly scrunched up his nose at the three of them and turned on his heel to leave the study. Turned right and made his way to the ballroom.

He was sure the door would squeak when he opened it, but someone was doing their job because the door swung open silently. The ballroom was, obviously, emptier than it had been last night and he could see that at the far end was a raised dais where Harry assumed a band would play for balls in the large, elegant room. Now, though, two people – one tall, the other short but looking even tinier – stood on the dais, facing a smallish crowd of maybe fifteen people calling out amounts.

It made his skin crawl, but the bidding war going on made it hard for the group to notice Harry's approach. The men on the floor were too busy bidding on and leering at one of the people on the dais to pay attention to Harry pushing his way through the small crowd to the front.

Louis noticed, though. Louis, in a thin chemise and robe that did little to hide the fact he was actually a young man and not a young woman. Louis, who looked tinier than he had beneath Harry the night before.

Louis, who looked like he'd already given up all hope on being rescued from the mental hell he must currently be going through and the physical hell that was in his future.

It made Harry want to cry.

It also gave him the strength to do something he never would've expected of himself: he reached up with both hands and pulled Louis off the raised dais. To his credit, Louis didn't make a sound as he went, and continued to not make a sound as Harry put him over his shoulder. Harry was surprised that the men around them weren't paying attention to them, or that Cowell wasn't calling attention to the fact that he was suddenly alone on the dais. But the surprise was quickly dispelled when he realised that they were all too focused on their bidding war to notice the thing, _the person_ they were bidding on had been pulled away from them.

Somehow, everyone stayed focused on the bidding war as Harry pushed his way back through the crowd with his precious cargo. He set Louis down on the ground once they were free from the press of the small crowd, taking him by the hand and pulling him toward the door, toward escape.

They'd reached the ballroom doors when one of them swung open, and Harry found himself face to face with the alpha that had been in Louis' room last night. For a moment, the alpha said nothing, gaze flicking from Harry to Louis to the bidding war happening behind them and finally down to their clasped hands.

“Nick.” Louis' voice was quiet, mindful of the bidding war they were all aware of, but urgency was still laced through it. “ _Please_.”

The alpha snorted, gaze flicking down to their clasped hands before back at the bidding war again. “Alright. My father was already sure of winning whatever the price wound up being because he and Cowell had an arrangement.” He glanced down at their clasped hands as he stepped around them. “Go have a great life, Lou. That's how you can pay me back, since my father was only involved with this whole thing to get me a mate.”

“I could _kiss_ you.” Louis breathed, eyes wide as the alpha started to walk toward the group.

The alpha snorted again. “Don't. I'm pretty sure you're already mated, or nearly there by now. Enjoy your freedom, yeah?”

Louis nodded as Harry tugged him out the ballroom door and to the rest of their life.

 

 

Two years later

 

Louis woke up with a groan, rolling over into Harry's side of their plush bed and found it warm but empty. Burying his face in his mate's pillow, he deeply inhaled the alpha's smell, letting it comfort him in the absence of the man in question.

He finally rolled onto his back again, stretching his limbs out as far as he could and stared up at the ceiling. It was strange to think that two years ago, he'd met his mate at a masquerade ball and had asked the alpha to kidnap him. Strange to think that two years ago, he'd been looking forward to a life of misery before he'd escaped for a far better life, a far _happier_ life.

Not that the past two years hadn't had its share of hardships, though.

The first couple months had been fine, even fun, while Louis had figured out who he was as a person and not a thing. James and his family had helped; the Cordens had had a small estate in the countryside they rarely used, and James had given it to them as a place to hide while things cooled down. In hindsight, he was more than a bit embarrassed by those first few heats in Harry's company while they were alone, and he was grateful that they hadn't mated in those first few months while Louis figured himself out. Even though Louis'd practically begged each month for Harry to mark him that way.

He was grateful that they hadn't mated in those first few months because once the glitter and gleam of his newfound freedom, reality had hit Louis: having lived his entire life as someone's property, he wasn't cut out for the life of a thief's mate, even if he wasn't bound to Harry. The months spent in tears and fights had been some of the hardest he'd ever been through, even with his life before Harry, and both of them had nearly left at one point or another. Harry had even admitted to taking more jobs than he had before Louis had come into his life, just to get away from the omega.

Things eventually got better again. With the help of James and his family, Louis had gotten more comfortable in his skin and Harry'd gotten out of a life of thievery entirely. They'd settled into an easy routine, for all that they didn't really leave their estate.

He stretched again, running a hand over the small swell of his belly. Two years ago might have brought pain and hurt, but the past year was definitely lighter. They'd been mated at the beginning of the year, after the dark days and months, and the beginning of the next would see their small family grow. For now, though, there was just a little flutter of life beneath his fingers.

There's a faint flutter as his fingers pass over his skin, and his hand stilled, trying to find it again. After a few minutes searching, he gives it up as a lost cause for the time being – he's _convinced_ the little one has it out for him because they're always active when Harry's around – and he pushed himself to his feet. He didn't know where Harry was, but while he liked the idea of lounging in bed all day waiting for the return of his mate, he had plenty of things that needed doing about their little house.

He was halfway dressed when Harry let himself into the room. The alpha smiled at the sight of him, crossing the room to rest his hands on the curve of Louis' hips.

“Who said you could get dressed?” Harry asked, shifting his grip so he could lift Louis up.

Louis couldn't help the giggle that fell from his lips as he wrapped himself around Harry, kissing him quickly. “You weren't here! What was I supposed to do with my day?”

“Stay in bed waiting for me.” The alpha carried him to the bed, setting him down on it. He slid his hand down Louis' side to the top of his thigh high stockings, fingering them lightly before his hand came up to the knickers Louis was starting to tent. “Why'd you even get dressed?”

“I told you. You weren't here and I wanted to do something with my day.” Louis nipped Harry's lower lip with a small grin, trying not to giggle. “I couldn't wait naked in bed all day for you.”

“As my mate, you should.” Harry nipped his way along Louis' jaw to the spot where his jaw met his neck and bit lightly there. “Unless you know Sir Corden or someone's coming, you should always be naked.”

Louis was going to say something in response, _anything_ in response, but then Harry was sliding his hand under the jumper Louis'd managed to put on and lightly stroked his belly. A moment later, the alphas was scooting down to kiss the skin uncovered by the jumper.

“Always naked,” the alpha repeated into the omega's skin, kissing his way down the small swell of Louis' pregnant belly. Like he knew it would, there's a flutter in Louis' belly like the baby is trying to get closer to its father. To be fair, Louis can't really blame their baby because he's leaning up into the warm, soft kisses against his skin. “You're going to look gorgeous as baby grows.”

“I'm going to be a whale,” Louis breathed at the ceiling, trying to ground himself as his mate's kisses were sliding lower down his skin. “Beached whale.”

“Prettiest pregnant omega.” Harry huffed lightly against his skin before his teeth caught the hem of Louis' knickers and tugged them down. Louis couldn't help but squirm as his now hard cock was exposed to the cool air once more. “ _My_ pretty pregnant omega.”

Unable to stop himself, Louis groaned again at the alpha's words. Harry, atrocious, awful, alpha Harry, kissed his way back up Louis' skin before kissing him deeply and wrapped a hand around Louis' cock. After two years together, Harry'd learned exactly what Louis liked, and he put every bit of that knowledge to use as he began to stroke him slowly, flicking his thumb across the head of Louis' cock in just the right way that made Louis whimper.

And whimper Louis did. He couldn't help himself, heels digging into their plush bed and hips raising as he was teased to full hardness by Harry's talented hand.

“God, you're still so responsive.” Harry's voice was reverent where he was kissing his way along the elegant line of Louis' neck. For a moment, Louis was tempted to just let the alpha have his way with him, do whatever the alpha wanted with him, but he soon found himself rolling them over and straddling the alpha. 

“If I'm responsive, what's that make you?”

They'd found out about a month into their relationship that Harry was _very_ receptive to a dominant omega, and Louis was _very_ keen on _being_ such a dominant omega. Louis was pretty sure that the baby fluttering in his belly was from one such event: he was sure that it had just been from riding Harry like this, while Harry was positive that it had been the night just before one of Louis' heats where he'd managed to convince Louis to tie him to the headboard and ride him until Louis was pleasantly sore the next day. Now was no different; Harry was looking up at Louis with dark eyes as the alpha slid his hands up Louis' thighs to where the hem of Louis' thigh highs met flesh. For a brief moment, the omega thought the alpha was going to leave his hands right there – he'd done it before – but then his hands slid higher.

Two things happened within a heartbeat of the alpha moving his hands higher: there was a loud ripping noise followed by cool air against his previously covered nether regions and the omega felt two fingers pressing against his wet entrance.

“Those were my favourite knickers,” Louis moaned, even as he rose up on his knees to give Harry better access. He was rewarded when the two fingers breached him, already questing for that spot inside him that drove him wild.

Harry didn't say anything in response, not that Louis was expecting one because he was well aware that the alpha liked to rip clothing off on occasion, just slowly fucked his fingers in and out of the omega on top of him. Louis covered his mouth with his hand, rocking back against the intruders and whimpering into his palm when they were removed.

“ _Fuck_ , you're already so wet.” Harry teased, moving his hands to Louis' hips and rolling his own hips up. As he was still fully clothed, it wasn't quite the tease it could've been and the omega whimpered again.

“I've been buried in your scent all morning.” Louis bit back another whimper as Harry rolled his hips up again, small hands sliding down to work the alpha's flies open and get out his cock. He was about to wrap his hand around it to give it a stroke when he was shifted forward and Harry fucked up into him hard. “Some warning!”

The alpha chuckled, thumbs rubbing circles into the omega's delicate skin as he bottomed out. “Your warning was those fingers. You can't look like this and expect me to _not_.”

Louis was torn between just letting Harry have his way with him, because the way his cock felt in Louis' arse was nothing short of heaven for him, and doing what he'd gotten on top to do. Then he felt Harry start to move his hips for him and he couldn't help the growl that came from his throat.

He slid his hands up Harry's shirt, pushing it up and tucking it under the alpha's armpits before flicking at a nipple. Even though they'd been together for two years, mated for months, and Harry knew Louis was capable of it at this point, it still had its desired effect: the action made the alpha stop immediately in shock.

“Did you just-”

Louis flicked at his nipple again, rolling his hips back against Harry's cock. “I wanted to lead. And you never answered my question.” He pushed himself up to his knees again, clenching down on the alpha's cock buried inside him. “Answer it, and I'll move.”

Harry groaned, fingers twitching against Louis' skin. His eyes rolled back into his skull like he expected the answer to the question, or even the question itself, to be imprinted there before his green eyes fixed on the omega once more. “What was the question again?”

The omega lifted himself up a fraction teasingly, rolling his hips and causing another groan to fall from the alpha's lips. “If I'm still responsive after all this time, what's that make you?”

“Your slave.” The alpha's fingers tightened into the omega's skin once more, like he thought it would give him the upper hand once more. Louis wasn't keen on giving it up that easily, and slid his hands up to flick at the alpha's nipple a third time, rolling the abused bud between his fingers.

“Good answer, but I said I'd move.” Louis followed action to words and pushed himself up until the alpha was nearly out of him and slammed himself back down with a loud cry. “I didn't say that I'd let you have your way with me.”

Harry groaned, fingers tightening against Louis' hips again. For a moment, Louis thought the alpha was going to roll them over, was preparing himself for such a move, but all the alpha did was thrust up into the omega's warmth.

They spent a few heartbeats fighting for dominance, Louis trying to ride Harry and Harry trying to guide each downward thrust of Louis' hips to each upward thrust of Harry's. Finally, _finally_ , they settled into a rhythm that suited them both, Louis' thighs aching under the strain of his riding Harry. Between one heartbeat and the next, Harry pried one hand from Louis' hip to wrap his fingers around his aching, needy cock and stroked him with a firm grip.

Louis groaned, fingers curling against Harry's chest. He managed a few more rolls of his hips before he came with a loud gasp, striping Harry's stomach and chest with his cum. He wanted to fall forward into the mess, but Harry moved his hand back to Louis' hip, keeping him upright. The alpha managed a few more upward thrusts before he followed the omega with a low groan.

As they came back down together, Harry shifted out of the wet spot and slid his hand down to the small swell of Louis' belly like he had earlier as he pulled Louis down into his mess. Just like earlier, the baby fluttered under Harry's fingers. Louis couldn't help but smile, and it grew when Harry placed a kiss to his temple.

“You happy?” The alpha's voice was quiet, like he thought speaking would shatter the peaceful moment. “I know you were once worried about having babies because they'd be taken from you and sold.”

Louis tucked his head under Harry's chin, listening to the alpha's strong heartbeat and couldn't help but smile. Two years together, so many months and so much time, and the alpha still remembered a fear from a different life entirely. “More than anything.”

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Harry running one hand down the bumps of Louis' spine and the other resting comfortably on Louis' belly like he was waiting for more movement from their baby. He certainly wasn't disappointed; there was more tiny movement, just on the side of ticklish for Louis.

He squirmed after another moment, batting at Harry's hand. “I'm a mess and you're making baby tickle me.” He rolled off Harry with a groan, burying his face in a pillow and Harry's scent. Voice muffled by the pillow, he ordered, “Do your mate a favour and run me a bath.”

“My little omega is so demanding.” Harry chuckled, smacking the omega's bare arse as he got up. “The things I do to make him happy.”

Louis turned his head to watch as Harry began to fill up the tub, organizing his thoughts as he watched the play of muscle ripple across the alpha's now bare back. Sure, his stomach was a sticky mess from his own orgasm. His favourite jumper was sticking to said mess, and his favourite knickers were now a lost cause because of a demanding alpha. And sure, the little baby inside him still tickled whenever it fluttered, and would eventually make him unable to see his own feet and all the other things that came with being pregnant that he couldn't help but look forward to, even if he was also terrified of everything that would happen. And yes, he hoped that this little baby was the first of hopefully many, because he wanted nothing more than to have a large, happy family with Harry, something he'd never had in his life but had always been envious of James for having. And _yes_ , the past two years had been hard and they'd had plenty of hardships, fights, and disagreements.

But he was, without a doubt, the happiest little omega he could possibly be. And he couldn't wait to see what the coming years would bring.


End file.
